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The next time I buy a bow.....

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Old 02-28-2007 | 12:04 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

Bigbulls......

I'm really only talking about my OWN EQUIPMENT. I wouldn't expect my shop owner to put his new accessories on the bow. But....if I have them from my old bow....why not?

I spend a LOT of money with my shop owner. If I didn't.....I wouldn't expect him to HELP ME do this. I'm fully capable of installing my own accessories before I shoot.....and I only want the items on the bow to determine how the actual hunting rig would feel in my hands.

Maybe I'm wrong (doubt it)......but my guy would do it for the customers that keep his doors open. How long would it take? .......10 minutes?

Look at it as an investment.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 12:04 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

VERY good point bigbulls, that makes perfect sense.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 12:49 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

Maybe take a few of the higher end model bows that you carry and load a couple up - each with different kinds of accessories
And then they don't want a higher end bow but want to try all of that stuff on a mid priced bow. And then they want it on a different mid priced bow. And the next customer wants to try different accessories than the ones you initially put on the high end bow. And then the line of customers that are building upandare patiently waiting for you to spend time with them are getting more and more impatientand finally get tired of waiting on you and walk out the door to purchase a bow from some where else. Yep, that's real good buisness practice.

Lets see.... With a selection of about 30 different sights, 15 different rests, 15 different stabilizers, etc... etc... adds up to a whole bunch of money thrown right down the drain.

And heck if they want the bow with all the goodies - than charge em a a little bit of asetup fee if you want.
And then customers start complaining that the shop down the road sets them up for free and wants to know why you don't.

I'm really only talking about my OWN EQUIPMENT. I wouldn't expect my shop owner to put his new accessories on the bow. But....if I have them from my old bow....why not?

I spend a LOT of money with my shop owner. If I didn't.....I wouldn't expect him to HELP ME do this.
You're assuming that you would be the only customer that would want the shop to do this for you. You are not the only customer that spends a lot of money with thim. If he spends three times more time with you installing your accessories on several different bows then he is neglecting the other customers that also spend as much or more money with him as you do.

How long would it take? .......10 minutes?
Ten minutes per bow. How many bows do you want to try like this? Switchback XT, Drenaline, Guardian, tribute, vectrix, vectrix XL?????? These are competing bows one might want to try and I would suggest to try them all. So six bows there is an extra hour right there. Now switch them back and forth a couple of times while you narrow it down and you eat up another hour.

I treat every one fair and equally and give themmy undivided attention while they are in my shop but apro shophas got to draw the line somewhere. Labor is by far the most expensive thing a merchant offers the customer. If we give everything away you won't have any pro shops to go to cause we will be out of business. While we love what we do we are still here to make money.

Maybepro shopsshould start charging the going rate for labor. Auto mechanics charge about $90 - $100per hour and tell you to pick it up next week. I think you guys have it pretty good.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 01:01 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

Bigbulls.......

Labor Costs???? He pays the same for labor whether he's putting on accessories or sweeping.....or unboxing freight. It's a fixed amount. He's open (_____) hours and he's paying (____) X (_____) hours worked. Whether they watch hunting videos......fletch arrows.......or set up bows.

My shop owner did this even for my son when we set his first bow up (which we didn't buy there).....to the second one (which we did).

Every business owner is entitled to do things his own way. That's the beauty of being a proprietor. My business is propreitary, though (I shop at one place)........for a reason. I went down to the range last night (in the back of the shop) and shot 3D with my friends, there. When I left....theowner was busy with a customer.....and I didn't bother him......just left. Halfway home.....my cell phone rings. he wants to know if I needed anything....and apologizes for being tied up and not speaking.

That's customer service.....and a good friend.

Good luck to you.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 01:08 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

Oh....and as far as the $90-100 per hour charge goes.....

Partner....this is America.....the Capitalism Capitol of the world......

If you can get it......GO FOR IT!!
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Old 02-28-2007 | 01:26 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

Every business owner is entitled to do things his own way. That's the beauty of being a proprietor. My business is propreitary, though (I shop at one place)........for a reason. I went down to the range last night (in the back of the shop) and shot 3D with my friends, there. When I left....theowner was busy with a customer.....and I didn't bother him......just left. Halfway home.....my cell phone rings. he wants to know if I needed anything....and apologizes for being tied up and not speaking.

That's customer service.....and a good friend.
Yes it is but that's not what you are talking about here.

If no one is in the shop needing help that's one thing but none of you should EXPECT this kind of service. This is going way above and beyond because when you factor in the cost of his timeto do this he is meerly breakingeven if you purchase your bow and accessories from him.Remember that time is money.


Like I said.... You guys got it pretty good. Try to get this kind of service, or anything remotely close to it, at any other service oriented business and see what they tell you. Car dealership, maid services, carpet cleaning, dry cleaning, etc....
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Old 02-28-2007 | 01:35 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

If you go over and above the call of duty and the customer buys the bow.......You've spent "X" amount of $$ on labor for that period of time.

If you don't go over and above the call of duty and the customer doesn't buy the bow......You've spent "X" amount of $$ on labor for that period of time.

The "X" doesn't change in either scenario. Your bottom line does in scenario number 1.

I, admittedly, don't know your business, though. Granted.....if you're so busy you don't HAVE time to do this for your customers.....then it's a moot point. If it's a matter of choice, though.......thats entirely different. I wouldn't fault (and don't) you for either.....not in the least.

Good to have a real shop owner in this discussion, too.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 01:40 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

ORIGINAL: bigbulls

Maybe take a few of the higher end model bows that you carry and load a couple up - each with different kinds of accessories
And then they don't want a higher end bow but want to try all of that stuff on a mid priced bow. And then they want it on a different mid priced bow. And the next customer wants to try different accessories than the ones you initially put on the high end bow. And then the line of customers that are building upandare patiently waiting for you to spend time with them are getting more and more impatientand finally get tired of waiting on you and walk out the door to purchase a bow from some where else. Yep, that's real good buisness practice.

Lets see.... With a selection of about 30 different sights, 15 different rests, 15 different stabilizers, etc... etc... adds up to a whole bunch of money thrown right down the drain.

And heck if they want the bow with all the goodies - than charge em a a little bit of asetup fee if you want.
And then customers start complaining that the shop down the road sets them up for free and wants to know why you don't.

I'm really only talking about my OWN EQUIPMENT. I wouldn't expect my shop owner to put his new accessories on the bow. But....if I have them from my old bow....why not?

I spend a LOT of money with my shop owner. If I didn't.....I wouldn't expect him to HELP ME do this.
You're assuming that you would be the only customer that would want the shop to do this for you. You are not the only customer that spends a lot of money with thim. If he spends three times more time with you installing your accessories on several different bows then he is neglecting the other customers that also spend as much or more money with him as you do.

How long would it take? .......10 minutes?
Ten minutes per bow. How many bows do you want to try like this? Switchback XT, Drenaline, Guardian, tribute, vectrix, vectrix XL?????? These are competing bows one might want to try and I would suggest to try them all. So six bows there is an extra hour right there. Now switch them back and forth a couple of times while you narrow it down and you eat up another hour.

I treat every one fair and equally and give themmy undivided attention while they are in my shop but apro shophas got to draw the line somewhere. Labor is by far the most expensive thing a merchant offers the customer. If we give everything away you won't have any pro shops to go to cause we will be out of business. While we love what we do we are still here to make money.

Maybepro shopsshould start charging the going rate for labor. Auto mechanics charge about $90 - $100per hour and tell you to pick it up next week. I think you guys have it pretty good.




I don't know why you're jumpin on me (if you're not, I'm sorry) I was just giving a couple hypothetical examples of a median outcome between loading up every bow and not doing any. My thoughts are, and this is debateable by all means, that most weekend warrior type hunters want high end equipment and they want to go into a store, try maybe one or two of the bows that their buddies told them are good, buy and leave. They're not like most of us who will try every single bow on the shelf and ask about every available option. So catering to a specific crowd like that could be advantageous IMO. Not to forget that, with a few bows all specially rigged up can be used as a demo for what X bow can do versus X bow. There are a lot of people who narrow down choices before they even pick up some of the other options. Like I said earlier, I'm not trying to tell you how to run your biz, I'm just trying to give you a view point of a differnt kind of customer. Thats all. Have a good day.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 02:04 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

Burbaust99, I'n not jumping on you, or anyone else. Just stating what can and does happen when you start doing things like this.

I'm not upset or mad or anything.


If I have the time I will spend all day with a customer if I can. Right now business is very slow but come July business really starts to pick up and things like this aren't possible.

The point I want to make perfectly clear is a customer should never expect a pro shop to do this kind of thing for them. People read this stuff on these forums and hear it fromfriendsand automaticallythink that's the way it should be every day the store is open. It isn't going to happen nor should it.

What a customer should expect isto be treated fairly with respect, the shops undivided attention while they are there,a knowledgable staff, fair prices, and a good selection.

BTW, I don't own it just manage the archery side of it.
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Old 02-28-2007 | 02:18 PM
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Default RE: The next time I buy a bow.....

ok, I can go with that. I understand both sides - I've been on both sides: both customer and working with a small biz. We can agree to disagree with this one, and it really all depends on the biz size and location IMO, but I feel an owner can find some happy medium in the services like we've been talking about.
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